Ali Khamenei was a prominent Iranian political and religious leader who served as Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until his death in 2026.
He was born on April 19, 1939, in the holy city of Mashhad and studied Islamic theology in the seminaries of Qom, where he became involved in the movement that ultimately toppled the Shah’s monarchy in the 1979 revolution.
Before becoming Supreme Leader, Khamenei served as Iran’s president from 1981 to 1989, a period that included much of the Iran–Iraq War.
After the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, he was chosen as the second rahbar (supreme leader) by the Assembly of Experts, a role that made him the highest authority in Iran’s political system and armed forces.
As Supreme Leader, Khamenei held final control over Iran’s political, military, security, judicial and foreign policy decisions, wielding power that surpassed both the president and parliament.
His long tenure shaped the Islamic Republic’s domestic and international posture amid ongoing tensions with the West, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional influence.
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